State officials break up third Missouri puppy mill in two weeks

St. Louis, MO – The state Department of Agriculture seized over 200 dogs from an unlicensed breeder in southwest Missouri on Wednesday.

It case marks the third incident involving Missouri puppy mills in two weeks.

The owner of the River Valley Kennel in Ozark County is alleged to have set fire to the facility after officials contacted him about not having a breeder's license.

Matt Rold of the Missouri Department of Agriculture says most of the dogs were English Springer Spaniels and German Shorthair Pointers.

"The dogs that are currently en route to the central Missouri Humane Society, some of them will go to English Springer Rescue of America as well as Mutts and stuff down toward the St. Louis area," says Rold.

The Humane Society of Missouri recently rescued more than 100 Yorkshire Terriers from a breeder in Greene County, and six days later seized 208 dogs, a domestic cat and a Bengal tiger from a facility in Seneca, Missouri.